Slowing down

Gentle enjoyment and creativity

White rabbit, designed by me with chatgpt.

The White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland is famous for worrying and scurrying. He is so concerned with his schedule — “I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date.” He should take time to slow down. In this image, he is missing the beautiful flowers in the forest. He is missing out on life.

Today I want to recommend a lovely book, The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down, by Haemin Sunim. Sunim is a Buddhist meditation teacher from Korea. This book is a series of gentle statements and meditations on mindfulness, “hitting the pause button,” dealing effectively with your emotions, maintaining healthy relationships, and exploring spiritual paths. My Penguin edition has beautiful illustrations. I recommend this book highly, it is delightful.

Here’s a sample from the book.

When we are joyful, our heart opens up to new things.

When we are in a bad mood, we can’t be open to new things, no matter how wonderful they are.

Without joy in our heart, our progress in life is slow and uninteresting.

Those who work in a playful, relaxed manner tend to work efficiently and creatively.

Those who work nonstop, driven only by stress, work without joy.

To keep doing your work for a long time, do not treat it as just work.

View it as a source of enjoyment and growth.

The road to happiness lies not just in finding a good job but also in learning to enjoy what you are asked to do.

Taking time to slow down and be mindful is good for you. It relieves stress and opens the portals to creativity.